Browns Agree to One-Year Deal with Jadeveon Clowney
The Cleveland Browns have come to terms on a one-year deal with veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. As first reported by Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, the deal is worth $11 million.
After a successful 2021 campaign with the Browns, Clowney was hoping to get more money in addition to years on the open market, leading many to believe the former #1 overall pick would end up signing elsewhere. When that didn't happen, the likelihood of a reunion became increasingly reasonable.
As time passed and most of the veterans went off the market, the Browns were a team that fit what Clowney wanted in terms of fit, but also had the most money to offer. At that point, it became a matter of the calendar and when Clowney would decide to put pen to paper.
Even though this deal felt like a forgone conclusion for the last month, it's a big deal for the Browns, because their defensive line outside of Myles Garrett was arguably the worst in the league. Had they failed to keep Clowney, they were left with few options to address the issue.
Clowney gives the Browns a talented defensive end duo that has demonstrated the ability take over games, including but not limited to a historic performance against the Chicago Bears in 2021.
The Browns drafted Alex Wright in the third round along with Isaiah Thomas in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. They made a trade to acquire Chase Winovich with the New England Patriots as well. None of those moves was enough to fill the void left by Clowney. With him in the mix, the Browns get the freedom to develop and utilize those players in positions that allow them to succeed.
The Browns still have questions at defensive tackle, but they have solved the issue for the 2022 season at defensive end.
